German police detain Syrian man wanted in alleged bomb plot

BERLIN (AP) — German police say they have detained a 22-year-old Syrian man who was the subject of a nationwide hunt and is believed to have been preparing a bomb attack.

Police in the eastern state of Saxony tweeted early Monday that Jaber Albakr was detained overnight in the eastern city of Leipzig. They were not immediately reachable for further details.

Albakr, from the Damascus area of Syria, escaped the authorities Saturday during a raid of his apartment in nearby Chemnitz. Investigators said they found "several hundred grams" of a volatile explosive hidden in the apartment.

The raid came after Saxony police were given a tip from Germany's domestic intelligence service that Albakr may be planning an attack.

German media have reported that Albakr is believed to be connected to Islamic extremist groups.